As I announced in September 2021, I’m exploring a new way to talk about some topics. These chats will take place once a month through at least April 2022.
We’ll be focusing on how to learn more (and perhaps better) about witchy, magical, pagan, and related topics. We’ll also be talking about how to the things we learn and make them a meaningful sustainable part of our practice (especially when it comes to things like accessibility and adaptations.)
The basics:
Why you? You can read my bio to get a sense of my background. I’ve been doing this witchy thing and this library thing for over 20 years each, and over that time I’ve gathered a lot of resources, ideas, and options.
Cost: Free (see the section on access for your options) with some options for additional support (more below) and access to ongoing conversation.
When: The second Saturday of each month from 4-5pm Eastern US Time via Zoom.
If you’re not available then, an audio recording of the call and a transcript will be available after the call. Register for the call to get a notification when it’s available. (The transcript is being produce by an actual human, so it will take a little time – maybe up to a week – to get it out.)
How long? You can expect each call to last about an hour.
What will be discussed? Each month, I’ll pick a theme or focus for the first part of the call. The rest will depend on questions submitted in advance and questions that come up in chat while we’re on the call.
Each call will include:
- Me talking about a particular topic, theme, or tool (probably about 15-20 minutes)
- Answering questions that come up in the moment about that.
- Tackling questions asked through the Google form in advance of the call.
How to get access:
There are two ways to get a link to the call registration:
- Back my Patreon at any level (starting at $1).
- Subscribe to my newsletter (free)
Two weeks before the call I’ll send out a note in both these places with a link where you can register for the call (you’ll need to register for each new call) and a form where you can submit questons.
Once you register for the call, you’ll get a reminder via Zoom. Don’t worry if you can’t make it – that’s where the audio recording and transcript come in.
My Patreon and newsletter will also get a link to a Discord server where you can chat with other people with similar interests, ask researchy questions, share interesting resources, and so on. I’ll likely also poll for ideas of topics people are most interested in from time to time.
Is there a cost?
Nope! You can ask questions, get access to the call information, and join the Discord all for free by signing up for my newsletter.
However, I’ve got limited time and energy. If you find these calls helpful backing my Patreon at any level (starting at $1) or a one-time donation through Ko-Fi will help me free up more time to spend on them. If that happens, options include longer calls, answering questions in text between calls, or other goodies depending on interest.
What kinds of topics are options?
I’m open to discussing a wide range of topics under the broad categories of learning about witchy/pagan/magical topics and making them a sustainable part of our practice.
Questions can be fairly general (without personal examples). It’s also fine to share some specifics if you’re comfortable. Here are some examples of questions I’m up for tackling in this context?
I’m getting started, but I’m overwhelmed. Questions about how to find out about different paths or practices, make sense out of some of the interrelationships.
Where can I go to learn more? Questions about finding resources on specific topics, learning more about working with groups or teachers (in a variety of settings: informal online spaces, in-person spaces, workshops, courses, group work, covens, etc.)
How do I figure out this author / teacher / reader / group leader’s background? This can be particularly complicated for these topics and communities. I’ll talk about clues you can look for, and some things that might be warning signs.
These sources conflict, how do I sort that out? Tools for looking at different sources, figuring out more about where that information came from, and how to evaluate which option is best (either in a more analytical sense, or in the sense that it’s best for you.)
What kinds of things should I be exploring if I want to develop my practice or learning in this direction? I might suggest some specific books, or I might suggest strategies for figuring out what those resources might be.
I’m interested in these things, but I’m not sure if they fit together / how to put include them in my practice. Discussion about what kinds of practices can overlap or work together, and which ones might not (or at least be more challenging.)
I have some specific accessibility / disability / chronic health needs, how could I adapt things? These might cover issues around tools you can’t use safely (candles, incense, fragile objects), planning (fatigue and energy, focus, time sense), limitations for raising energy for magical work (what method might work well for you), sensory issues (vision or hearing limits), or other related topics. I don’t have all the answers, but I do have ideas and experience figuring out options that work for people with a variety of needs.
I have limited time / energy / quiet time, how do I build a practice I can keep up with? Whether your time is limited because you have a lot of commitments, you have kids, you have chronic health stuff, a family member who needs assistance, there are a number of sustainable practices you can build into your life, and I’m glad to suggest some things to try.
Other questions along these lines. If you’ve got a question that seems relevant, feel free to ask so long as it doesn’t fall into the categories below.
Questions I’m not tackling
Nothing harassing, abusive, or dismissive of me, other participants, or other people in general. Hateful comments, bigotry of all kinds, threats, and related comments make learning and interacting in good faith impossible, and will be moderated. (This can range from a warning/removal of the comment to removing someone from the space, depending.)
No questions about medical or legal issues. I’m a librarian, not a doctor, lawyer, or other professional. While questions about adapting practices to your needs are fine, anything that gets into specific medical needs will get a “Go talk to your doctor about this.” and the legal equivalent. (As appropriate, I may suggest something specific to ask about or terms that can help with more information.)
Direct instruction in spellcraft, ritual, magic, or related topics. I’m glad to talk about how to learn these things, but many of them take time to learn and involve specific choices about ongoing practice, ethics, and what your personal priorities and values are. In other words, I have my librarian hat on for these calls and conversations, not my priestess crown or coven teacher hat.
Explain why these two authors disagree or Tell me what you think about this specific book/author/tradition. I read a lot, but I definitely haven’t read everything, even within fairly narrow ranges of our community. (There are just plain a lot of books.) It’s fine to give me examples from multiple sources, but I’m going to focus on techniques for evaluating them or integrating them into a practice, not on a deep analysis of a single work or author.
